4th Annual Holiday Shopping night
The Rotary Club of Nashua participated in their 4th annual holiday shopping event Monday night. No, they do not get together to do their own shopping. Instead they donate $9500 to help 100 Nashua children do some Christmas shopping for their parents and siblings.
Each year, children who are members of Girl's, Inc. or Boys and Girls Club of Greater Nashua, are bused to the department store where 50 Rotarians and friends of Rotary are waiting to help them do their shopping. These are children who would not otherwise have money to buy gifts for their family. The intention of the project is to show the children the joy of giving.
The children arrive armed with their shopping lists, and the Rotarians are there to help the stay within their budget of $85 per child. It is not clear who enjoys this event more: the children or the Rotarians? Norm Bouthilette, a member of the Rotary Club of Nashua, and the CEO of Boys and Girls Club of Greater Nashua, said, "This is a win-win experience. The children are learning about the spirit of giving, and the adults are enjoying the chance to make a small, but positive difference in the life of a child."
The event, organized by Debra Nash, a member of the Rotary Club, takes place each year at the Wal-Mart in Hudson. This year, Wal-Mart donated some money toward the project and they give wrapping supplies for the children to use when they arrive, by bus, back at Girl's, Inc. or Boys and Girls Club.
The idea for this event was brought to the Rotary Club by member, Gerry Nash. He attends Rotary meetings in Florida during the Winter months, and has participated in a similar holiday shopping event in Florida. Nash wanted his Nashua club to adopt the idea, so he gave $10,000 in 2008 to fund the first holiday shopping night in Nashua, in hopes that his club mates would agree that this was a project worth funding in the years to come.
President of The Rotary Club of Nashua, Robert Boisvert, would like community-minded folks to know that the club holds 4 fundraisers each year: an annual auction, a calendar fundraiser, a comedy night, and a Christmas tree sale. Calendars are currently available for sale through membes of the Rotary Club of Nashua. Trees may be purchased from Thanksgiving weekend through the week before Christmas, between the hours of 1:00 and 9:00 PM, Monday through Friday, or on Saturdays and Sundays between the hours of 9:00 AM and 9:00PM, in the parking lot in front of Market Basket in Somerset Plaza (Exit 8 off of Everett Turnpike.) More information about these fundraisers can be found at www.NashuaRotary.org.